4-point play: Kentucky survives clash against Texas
Analyzing No. 1 Kentucky's 63-51 victory against No. 7 Texas in Lexington, Ky.:
HOW KENTUCKY WON: Any discussion of Kentucky's talent-rich team this season can border on hyperbole. But there is no way to overstate the greatness of the Wildcats' defense. It is downright frightening. The Wildcats struggled shooting the ball and couldn't come close to matching Texas in the rebounding battle in the first half. But Kentucky turned a tie game at halftime into a double-digit lead with an 18-2 run in the first nine minutes of the second half. They seized control and never allowed the Longhorns to recover in a 63-51 victory.
Thirty NBA scouts in attendance at Rupp Arena witnessed a first half that was not exactly easy on the eyes. There was no flow and a whistle on virtually every possession. Three Texas players — Cameron Ridley, Myles Turner and Prince Ibeh — all picked up two fouls apiece less than 10 minutes into action. With so much size on the floor, points were difficult to come by for both teams. So much attention has been paid to Texas' stars this season, but the primary way the Longhorns could excel is defensively. Kentucky has been a work in progress offensively thus far and made just three of its first 18 field-goal attempts. The Texas zone forced the Wildcats into some bad shots. Texas outrebounded the Wildcats 27-11 in the first half. But 13 first-half turnovers made it difficult for the Longhorns to maintain a lead.
Momentum swung after Texas forward Jonathan Holmes was assessed a flagrant I foul after he collided with Karl-Anthony Towns, who drove hard to the basket. Kentucky followed with six straight points in a span of just 20 seconds. The defense won the game in the second half.
THE BIG PICTURE: Kentucky remains in hot pursuit of a historically good season. Can these ultra-talented and deep Wildcats go undefeated? Though their offense remains less than stellar, the defense is stifling. They have as good a chance to run the table as any team the sport has seen in recent years. Challenges of note will come throughout December: Dec. 13 against North Carolina; Dec. 20 against UCLA and Dec. 27 at Louisville. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas rightly pointed out during Friday night's broadcast that Kentucky will get plenty of stiff tests during non-conference play. He noted that the pertinent question is whether Kentucky will get the tests it needs in SEC play.
Even by SEC basketball standards, the league has largely underwhelmed thus far. Florida entered tonight with three defeats, offensive issues and a lineup still looking to get healthy. Few other teams — with the exception of Arkansas and perhaps LSU — have proven to be worthy of attention. The bottom line for Kentucky is that if its offense makes even marginal improvements, the Wildcats will have a reasonable chance to finish the season unbeaten. Yes, it's a long season, but this much is clear: The defense is superb.
As for Texas, the Longhorns remain a strong Final Four contender. They will compete for the Big 12 title, along with a host of other contenders – most notably Kansas – in the nation's deepest conference. Texas has depth, size and defense. And when point guard Isaiah Taylor returns from a broken wrist, the Longhorns will have a potential future pro at the point.
STAR POWER: It's difficult to stand out individually at times when your team is so deep it features nine McDonald's All-Americans and you can summon potential NBA lottery picks from the bench. But Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein distinguished himself with a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks) and had his fingerprints all over the Wildcats' victory. He rebounded. He scored. He blocked shots. And he was a disruptive force defensively, stealing the ball on several occasions and guarding multiple positions. His short hook shot in the middle of the Texas zone proved difficult to stop. As for Texas, Holmes has been a stalwart during non-conference play, easily the team's best player. He still led the Longhorns in scoring against Kentucky, but he was plagued by foul trouble at times.
AND-1: Texas has a lot of size. But Kentucky's size is downright ridiculous. Kentucky's front court players are an average height of 6-10.14. If Kentucky were an NBA team, only the Portland Trail Blazers would have a taller front court (6-10.44) than these Wildcats. For the second consecutive season, Kentucky has the tallest roster in the country, according to KenPom.com. Its average height overall of 79.7 inches is nearly an entire inch taller than the No. 2 team in the country, UNLV.